Curtain-rod.



' PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

. W. S. ADAMS. CURTAIN ROD. APPLICATION FILED 001'. 29, 1903.

1T0 MODEL.

h P Q 7 in N M, Fh I r d I M4 i Swvmtoz Walter/S/ldmw 351 14mm W43 UNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. ADAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN A. BRILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CURTAIN-ROD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 774,962, dated November 15, 1904. Application filed October 29, 1903. Serial No. 179,104- (NO model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER S. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain Rods, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the mechanism used in curtain-rods for controlling the upwardand-downward movement of curtains in railway-cars and similar vehicles, and is particu I larly adapted for use in cars Where cables or bands are used for guiding the curtain-rod in the post-grooves and controlling the action thereof.

It is the object of my invention to produce means for holding the curtain in its proper vertical position by gripping the cables, rods, or bands which guide the curtain-rods.

I have produced a device which is inexpensive, very simple, easy to operate, and with few working parts, so that the possibility of disarrangement is reduced to a minimum.

The further advantages and details of construction will be here described and then set forth in the claims.

In the drawings forminga part of this specification, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side view of my improvements, in which one end is partly in section to show the working parts. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the guiding-shoe, and Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof one of the gripping-levers. V

The invention consists in providing guideshoes on the casing and toggle-levers mounted so that the levers when actuated will be caused to grip the cable, rods, or bands on which the shoes are guided to hold the curtain against upward-and-downwardmovement. Itisusual in car-curtains to support them from above by some means, such as a spring-roller, so that a continuous upward pull is exerted on" the curtain, so that by securing the bottom of the curtain in any desired place the curtain is retained in its proper place.

In the several views, 1 represents the usual casing which is attached to the lower portion 'ing-arms 11.

of the curtain. Attached to the casing at either end are guide-shoes 2, which move in the post-grooves 3 of the car side posts or stanchions 4, and in the grooves are provided the usual cables, rods, or hands 5, on which the shoes are guided and held. The shoes may be attached to the casing by means of the screw-threads 6, and consist of a cylindrical neck 7, fitting over the casing, from which emerges the rectangular casing 8 and the guid- The casing 8 is formed by the vertical sides 9 of the horizontalends 10, which may be varied as desired. The arms 11 are each provided with the jaws 12, having vertical apertures 13,through which the band, rod, or tape passes in the usual way.

As a means for causing the rod to grip the band I provide a pair of levers 14 and 15, which are similar and are secured by pivots 16 and 17, which pass through the sides of the casing or frame of the shoes and through the apertures 18 of the levers and on which the latter are adapted to pivot. The levers have arms 19 at an angle to the arm 20, the former having a slot 21 and the latter a vertical aperture 22, through which the band passes. The levers 14 and 15 are similar, with the exception that the position of the arms 19 and 20 on the hub is slightly different, so that when the levers aresecured in place in the shoe-casing their arms 19 will overlap and will not interfere". The levers when in place are adapted to be turned on their pivots, so

that the ends of the arms through which the band passes will radiate and move out of vertical alinement with the apertures 13 and grip the band, the apertures 22 being forced out of alinement with the bands, causing them to bind on the band at the same time.

As a means for actuating the levers I have provided rods 24, which are within the casing longitudinally thereof and have a pin passing through the end adapted to move in the slots 21 of the levers, the rod 24, together with the levers, forming a toggle-joint.

Normally the levers are held in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the levers grip the band, and when the rods 24 are moved inwardly the pin 25 moves the arms 19 with it, thus tilting the arms 20 until the apertures 22 and 13 are in alinement, when the rod is released from the band and is free to be raised or lowered.

Any means may be employed to force the rods 24 apart; but the specific device I employ consists of a spring 26 in the casing, which lies between the finger-pieces 27 on the inner ends of the rods, the spring being held in position by the part of the casing 28 between the slots 29. When it is desired to release'the rod, the finger-pieces are merely moved toward each other, causing the rods to move toward the center.

While I have described a particular form of lever, I do not wish to limit myself to such.

-Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, having side posts or stanchions provided with grooves, flexible bands within said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, a lever pivoted to the shoe and engaging the said band and means for actuating the said lever.

2. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, side posts or stanchions provided with grooves, flexible bands within said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, levers pivoted at different points to said shoe, and engaging with said band and means for actuating said levers.

3. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, having side posts or stanchions, provided with grooves, flexible guide-bands on said posts, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes on the casing, a plurality of levers fulcru med in each of said shoes, said levers having arms radiating from the point of fulcrum, and engaging with said hand, and means for operating said levers.

4:. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, having side posts or stanchions provided with grooves, bands in said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, guide-arms on the shoes, having apertures through which the said bands pass, and arms fulcrumed to said shoes, having means for engaging guide-bands, and means for operating said arms 5. In a car or similar vehicle, having side posts or stanchions provided with grooves, bands in said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes for guiding the same, vertical guide members on said shoes, and having apertures through which said bands pass, arms fulcrumed to said shoes, having apertures in alinement with the apertures in said guide member, means for oscillating said arms to move the apertures out of alinement with the apertures in said vertical guide members.

6. In a car or slmilar vehicle, having posts or stanchions provided with grooves, guidebands in said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, levers pivoted to each of said shoes, said levers each having an outwardly-extending arm provided with an aperture through which the guide-band passes, and a second arm at, an angle with the first one, rods in the said casing connected to the second arm, and adapted to oscillate the said levers on their fulcrum.

7. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, having posts or stanchions provided with grooves, flexible bands in said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, levers mounted therein, each having an arm adapted to engage the said bands, a second arm on said levers, rods in said first casing, connected to the levers and adapted to oscillate the same on their fulcrum.

8. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, having posts or stanchions provided with grooves, bands within said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, levers fulcrumed to said shoes, each having an outwardly-extending arm adapted to engage the guide-band, vertical arms on said levers, rods in said casing engaging with said vertical arms, and adapted to oscillate said levers.

9. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, having posts or stanchions provided with grooves, bands within said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, levers fulcrumed to said shoes, each provided with an outwardly-extending arm adapted to engage the guide-band, an arm on each lever at an angle to said first arm, having a slot, rods in said casing and pins on said rods adapted to move in said slots.

10. In a railway-car or similar vehicle, having posts or stanchions provided with grooves, bands within said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, levers fulcrumed to said shoes, having arms 20, apertures 22 in the arms, arms M at an angle to said first arms, and provided with slots 21, rods in said casing, having a pin 25 movable in said slots, and a spring adapted to force said rods apart.

11. In a railway-car or similar Vehicle, having posts or stanchions provided with grooves, bands within said grooves, a curtain attachment comprising a casing, shoes to guide the same, levers fulcrumed to said shoes each having an outwardly-extending arm adapted to engage the guide-band, a second arm on said levers, rods in said casing, having a pin engaging with said slots, and means for actuating said rods.

12. In a railway-car having side posts or stanchions, provided with grooves, hands within the grooves, a curtain having an attachment guided by said bands, composed of a casing, feet attached thereto, and means secured to said feet adapted to oscillate, said os- IIC cillating means having an aperture through which said bands pass and means for oscillating said oscillating means.

13. In a railway-car having side posts or stanchions, provided with grooves, bands within the grooves, a curtain having an attachment guided by the bands composed of a casing, feet attached thereto, apertures in the feet through which said bands pass, and means secured to the said feet adapted to oscillate, said means having an aperture through which said bands pass and means for oscillating said oscillating means.

14. In a car having side posts or stanchions, provided with grooves, bands within the grooves, a curtain having an attachment guided by said bands, composed of a casing, feet attached thereto, apertures in the feet through which the said bands pass, and means within said feet between the apertures in the said feet, adapted to engage with the said bands, comprising an oscillating piece having a vertical aperture through which the band passes, and operating means for said oscillating means.

15. In a car having side posts or stan chions, provided with grooves, bands within the grooves, a curtain having an attachment guided by said bands, composed of a casing, feet attached thereto, alining apertures in the feet through which said bands pass, oscillating means in said feet for engaging with said bands to prevent vertical movement of the feet, an aperture in the oscillating means through which said band passes, and means for operating said engaging means.

Signed in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 17th day of September, 1903.

WALTER S. ADAMS.

Witnesses: W. B. CLARK, TERRENOE MoCUsKER. 

